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Human Resource Development

Modeling Success

Details
Time Required- Setup Time: 10 minutes, Activity: 20 minutes, Debrief: 20 minutes (minimum)
Group Size: 5 – 20 participants
Space: 20 x 40 (minimum room size) Open space – no chairs, tables, etc.
Materials: One Toobeez set, 70 feet of rope, blindfolds (optional)

Description
The group must duplicate a structure based on instructions from their team. The person building at any given time will have eyes closed and breath held.

The Activity Setup
Using the long rope, create a circular space. Divide the Toobeez in half, creating two piles with exactly the same Toobeez pieces in each pile. Place one pile inside the rope circle. Use the other pile to build a structure outside the circle. This is what the group will be replicating during the activity. The more complex the structure, the more challenging the exercise will be.

modeling success.jpg

Instructions

Facilitator Script
In this activity you will be working as a team to build an exact replicate of this structure (point to the structure you’ve built outside the circle) inside this circle. There are some restrictions on how this can be done.
1. You may only use the Toobeez that are inside the circle at the beginning of the activity.
2. Only one person may be inside the circle at any given time.
3. Each person may only enter the circle once.
4. While inside the circle, you must remain blindfolded.
5. While inside the circle, you must hold your breath. You may only remain inside the circle for as long as you can hold your breath.
6. When you are on the outside, you may not touch the person inside the circle.
7. The rope delineating the circle may not be moved.
8. If any guidelines are broken, everyone will start over building the structure.

You will have 20 minutes to complete this activity.

Once the activity begins, your role as facilitator is to observe and watch for safety.

The Debrief
Opening: The intention of this activity is to develop project management skills and enhance communication among participants. However, this activity offers many lessons, so let the participants share with you what they learned and their comments as to the purpose of the activity.

  • What was the point of this exercise?
  • What was the biggest challenge of this activity (the physical obstacles, behavioral ones, or communication)?

Closing: We work together and act on the advice and guidance of others all the time. Often we have no way of knowing how a situation will turn out until it does; we cannot see how what we’re doing contributes to the outcome. Or, we have other limitations or distractions as we work on the project at hand. As in this activity, clear communication and a willingness to trust the guidance of teammates are both critical elements of effective leadership.

Concluding Questions

  • What did you learn about communication and project management?
  • What could have been done differently?
  • Where else in your professional life do you act with partial information, relying on those around you?
  • What can you now do differently to optimize those situations?

Action Plans

  • How many ways can you apply what you learned in this activity to: Client relationships, Interviewing/recruiting, Promotions/advancement
  • Based on your new experiences and insights, what could be different in going forward?
  • What three action steps (with specific, measurable results) will you take this month to begin incorporating what you’ve learned into your daily routine?

For additional instructions and modifications click HERE.